


To the Victor the Spoils

by writinginthedust



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 08:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15138947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writinginthedust/pseuds/writinginthedust
Summary: Inspired by this post:https://aelin-and-feyre.tumblr.com/post/165947514530/221b-impala-fezzz-the-wheel-comes-full-circle





	To the Victor the Spoils

He saw. He wanted. He got.

The other boy looked just as hungry as Cassian. He was older, taller and probably stronger but for Cassian the real difference was that the other boy just wasn’t _hungry enough._

With a roar from his lungs Cassian had launched forward, using the full force of his body to knock the other boy down and slam him into the ground. The element of surprise had worked in Cassian’s favour and it took little effort to pin the boy in place as Cassian rained violent blow after blow on his face. It wasn’t long until the boys nose was broken and bleeding and Cassian’s knuckles were raw.

But Cassian had won. When the other boy could take no more, Cassian had let him go and stood tall in his victory, his wings outspread to their full length. The boy had run but had left behind the prize Cassian had wanted.

He sat down and picked it up. It was small and caked in mud but it would do. Cassian tore a chunk from the bread with his teeth.

***

Cassian bellowed as he dropped to the ground and kicked up, using the power of his legs to tangle around his opponent’s and dragged him to the dirt. Down the Illyrian went and Cassian had sworn he had seen flowers put up more of a fight.

It wasn’t long and Cassian was on top, something he smirked about, while he held the other male in a chokehold. Cassian’s arms were barely straining and he rolled his eyes as the downed male flailed. “Is that the best you can do?” he teased but was met only with a gurgle.

Eventually the other male slumped to the ground and Cassian grinned. Perfect. New boots and new leathers. His current boots were falling apart and he’d outgrown the leathers so fortune had been smiling upon him that morning when Cassian saw the larger Illyrian standing idly about. He knew an opportunity when one presented itself.

He saw. He wanted. He got.

***

“Come fight me then!”

The crowd moved back until it was just Cassian and the idiot who had knocked into him and muttered a comment about bastard-borns in the camp. The idiot had shaken his head and started to walk off acting like the challenge was a waste of his time.

Cassian snarled. Something boiled up inside him, his blood so hot that he wondered if steam would pour from his skin. An unaccepted challenge would never do. Cassian had a reputation to uphold and his honour to protect and besides, the idiot had a sexy looking new belt dagger.

“Prick,” Cassian called after him. “Are you scared of a bastard-born? Scared that he’ll make you eat dirt? Or are you scared that he’ll make you realise that _you’re_ nothing more than a piece of dirt?”

The male had paused and turned around, a muscle twitching in his jaw and Cassian grinned. Something else bubbled up inside his blood now, something that felt like excitement. _I can’t wait,_ he thought, _to tuck that shiny dagger into my belt._

They’d launched at each other at the same time but the other male didn’t stand a chance. Cassian fed off rage, others and his own, like he was starving for it and the taunt ‘bastard born’ rang into his head like a bell. It wasn’t even a fight. It was almost boring.

The crowd dispersed until it was just Azriel standing there in silence watching him. Cassian used the unconscious soldier beneath him as a seat as he inspected the dagger that he’d taken from the belt. He looked at the belt, actually he would take that too.

“Ah, Az,” Cassian finally acknowledged his friend. “I could do this all day. Fighting and fucking. Not with the same person of course,” and he gave the man beneath him a good-natured pat on the shoulder. There was no response and Cassian shrugged. “He’ll wake up at some point.”

He saw. He wanted. He got.

That was how it worked. Cassian would win. He would always win. Damages were negligible.

***

Five months had passed after Hybern and it had taken them some time to adjust to this new life. Many things had changed but unfortunately there were a few things that hadn’t. Cassian wondered how and why some things had gotten worse.   

He wasn’t used to being ignored, he didn’t _like_ being ignored, not by anyone but especially not by _her._ There were days at the start when she was little more than a ghost drifting around. It was as though she wasn’t really present, that she was operating on a new plane of existence that contained only her.

Cassian didn’t like it. For her as much as for him. He was worried for her. He missed her. The latter shocked him because in some ways it _didn’t_ shock him. Because on some level he had always known the truth about what lay between them.

The grief that was tasting her would consume her if she let it but she didn’t seem to be trying to break free from its jaws. It will purge with time, Azriel had told him and Cassian had nodded and gritted his teeth. Still, she shouldn’t be like this, not this long after.

Cassian had distracted her before and so he would distract her again. He wanted her attention, he wanted to lift the veil of her grief just slightly to enable her to see her own path again. And what Cassian wanted, he got.

“You are the most infuriating, pig-headed, idiotic male I have ever had the displeasure of knowing!” Her hands were balled into fists and her face, usually so pale, was flooded a deep crimson.

Cassian stood opposite her with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. “Tell me how you really feel, _Nes,_ ” he said. “Don’t hold back.” Then he gave an exaggerated, wistful sigh, “I could do this all day, fighting and fucking. Though usually it’s not with the same person,” and he winked at her.

Nesta’s mouth opened and closed a few times and even though Cassian doubted it was possible, her face turned a deeper shade of red. She glanced around a few times to see if anyone else had heard and then with a hiss of something barely legible at him, she spun on her heels and stalked off.

Cassian let the smirk slide from his face and he uncrossed his arms as he watched her go. He may pay for that one later but at least she was fired up and out of her room. Most times she ended up out of her room and into his. He rubbed a hand over his face and when he withdrew it, Az had stepped out of the shadows.

“I don’t think,” Az said, “that your tactic of pinning will be the best approach here.”

Cassian let the smirk return, “Then my dear friend, you don’t know our Nesta.”

Az looked at Cassian with a raised eyebrow but Cassian had already turned to watch the retreating back of the eldest Archeron sister.

He saw. He wanted.


End file.
